Portsmouth vs. Manchester CITY

The Preview: Pompey v The Blues

With City's mean black away kit still in the wash from Thursday, out comes the swish black and red sash retro third kit for the important mission to Portsmouth...

Vital Quotes:

Kolo Toure:

'It was a big moment for me to lead out Manchester City at Crystal Palace. If the manager asks me to be captain regularly then I would be delighted to accept because I am really happy to be at this football club and I think as a group we can bring a lot of success here.'

Mark Hughes:

'The settling-in process is accelerated with the kind of top-quality players in our squad. These guys have a real understanding of how the game is played and are reacting off each other. They are enjoying playing alongside each other and showing what they can do.

'We have made huge changes in personnel, so they are all coming together at one time. But there is a real focus in the group. Everyone is excited, and as a consequence we are playing some good stuff...we've made a good start and we want that to continue.'

Tommy Smith:

'It's going to be a fight for us this season, but you have to roll your sleeves up and get on with things and I'm looking forward to it. If given the chance, I'm really looking forward to playing against Manchester City. That is why I have given myself this challenge. I am certainly up for it. I watched a bit of their game against Crystal Palace and they are an impressive side but they are not unbeatable.'

Paul Hart:

(Since beginning his Pompey reign with a 2-0 win over City earlier this year) 'They have probably spent more than £100m since then and bought some extremely good players.'

Portsmouth Team News:

With Sulaiman Al Fahim's takeover now complete, Paul Hart has wasted no time in attempting to rebuild a threadbare squad.

New signings Tommy Smith and Michael (Nasty) Brown can start. Yet Aruna Dindane, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jamie O'Hara have not been registered in time to face City.

Defence is a big issue for Pompey right now after Sylvain Distin left for Everton in similar circumstances and with similar quotes to when he walked out on Newcastle and City.

19-year-old Joel Ward is ready to make make his Premier League debut, but Hart might partner Aaron Mokoena with Younes Kaboul.

Former City favourite David James has declared himself fit after injury in the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Player to watch: Tommy Smith

The ex Watford goal poacher may have had a couple of demoralising top flight experiences but he certainly knows where the onion bag is.

Eager to impress, the new signing will go straight into the side and is likely to be played out wide initially. City's defence will have to keep a keen eye on him.

Manchester CITY Team News:

City have no major injury concerns outside of long term absentees Michael Johnson, Vincent Kompany and Roque Santa Cruz.

Sparky's cunning plan of fielding a full strength side for the difficult League Cup trip to Palace paid off and can only have helped the new players to forge understandings with each other all the more rapidly.

Player to watch: Robinho

Robinho is looking sharper by the game and only needing a goal to set him alight. You get the feeling that any day now one of his bursting in from the left wing right footed howitzer's is going to go in. And when it does...

Match Facts & Stats

City have not won at Fratton Park November 2004 when we won 3-1.

City and Pompey have played each other 12 times in the Premier League. 35 goals have been scored. That's an average of almost 3 each game!

This is officially Portsmouth's worst ever start to a Premier League season. City meanwhile, if they can win will have equalled last season's record of 2 away wins all season!

Match Prediction:

Fratton Park is never an easy place to go and must never be underestimated. The key is to score early in order to peg back the passionate home support's vocal efforts. This is precisely the type of fixture that City must win throughout this campaign. Wins at Blackburn, Barcelona and Crystal Palace have provided perfect preparation for a City side that looks to be gelling quickly. The resurgent, winning momentum is unprecedented surrounding City right now and should The Blues come away with the points, then Sparky can look back upon a tremendously successful opening to the season. I'm banking on City putting in another professional performance, paying no attention to the distraction of Liam and Noel battering each other in Paris last night. Johnny On The Spot? Portsmouth 0, CITY 2

Hope to see some of you guys down at the Park tomorrow - Citeh have a good following and are well liked (well you fans are) in Pompey.. Good honest blokes who have stuck by your team through thick and thin.. just like us but your times have been less thin than our thick .. does that make sense ?? .. Anyway .. we'll settle for a draw right now .. will you take 1-1 ?

sky factor, people getting bored of losing factor, we are no longer "new boys" in the premiership, it's really REALLY expensive to go... there are many excuses people are using. hope to see a few of you there though. It *should* be a good, high scorring game.

Portsmouth are reeling from massive problems... They have a toothless attack, their defence is in tatters. This tie has "banana-skin" written all over it. The team must keep their focus and the strong start to the season rolling. We can't afford complacency and overconfidence. Hughes has to make sure the team is fired up and focused -- that is NOT like the first half against Crystal Palace.

As much as this game could be a potential banana skin, winning would further help exorcise the ghost of "Typical City". I'll settle for 0-1, but feel that on paper we should be aspiring to 0-3 or more. Pompey are in turmoil, and if we create as many chances as we did against Wolves then we really should score a bag full. A big win would provide a boost going into the international break and raring to go when we face l'arse at Eastlands.

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